Laura Chinchilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laura Chinchilla
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Official portrait, c. 2010
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| 46th President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 2010 – 8 May 2014 |
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| Vice President | Alfio Piva Luis Liberman |
| Preceded by | Óscar Arias |
| Succeeded by | Luis Guillermo Solís |
| First-Vice President of Costa Rica | |
| In office 8 May 2006 – 8 October 2008 |
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| President | Óscar Arias |
| Preceded by | Lineth Saborío Chaverri |
| Succeeded by | Alfio Piva |
| President pro tempore of CELAC | |
| In office 28 January 2014 – 8 May 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Raúl Castro |
| Succeeded by | Luis Guillermo Solís |
| Minister of Justice and Grace | |
| In office 8 May 2006 – 8 October 2008 |
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| President | Óscar Arias |
| Preceded by | Patricia Vega Herrera |
| Succeeded by | Viviana Martín Salazar |
| Minister of Public Security | |
| In office 30 March 2008 – 14 April 2008 |
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| President | Óscar Arias |
| Preceded by | Fernando Berrocal Soto |
| Succeeded by | Janina del Vecchio Ugalde |
| In office 12 November 1996 – 8 May 1998 |
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| President | José María Figueres |
| Preceded by | Bernardo Arce Gutiérrez |
| Succeeded by | Juan Rafael Lizano Sáenz |
| Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica | |
| In office 1 May 2002 – 30 April 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Guido Monge Fernández |
| Succeeded by | Evita Arguedas Maklouf |
| Constituency | San José (13th Office) |
| Vice Minister of Public Security | |
| In office 8 May 1994 – 12 November 1996 |
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| President | José María Figueres |
| Succeeded by | Óscar Albán Chipsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Laura Chinchilla Miranda
28 March 1959 San José, Costa Rica |
| Political party | National Liberation Party (until 2022) Independent (2022-present) |
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| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | |
| Signature |  |
Laura Chinchilla Miranda (born 28 March 1959) is a political leader from Costa Rica. She served as the President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. She was the first, and so far only, woman to become president of Costa Rica.
Before becoming president, she was one of the two Vice-Presidents for Óscar Arias Sánchez. She also worked as his Minister of Justice. In the 2010 general election, she won with 46.76% of the votes. She was sworn in as president on 8 May 2010.
After her time as president, she taught at Georgetown University in 2016. She also helps lead important groups like the Inter-American Dialogue and Club de Madrid.
Contents
Early Life & Education
Laura Chinchilla was born in San José. She was the oldest of four children. Her father, Rafael Ángel Chinchilla Fallas, was a respected public official. Her mother is Emilce Miranda Castillo.
She studied political science at the University of Costa Rica. Later, she earned a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University in the United States. After her studies, she returned to Costa Rica. She worked as a consultant, helping with security and justice reforms.
Laura Chinchilla has one son, José María Rico Chinchilla, born in 1996. She married José María Rico Cueto in 2000.
Journey to the Presidency
Laura Chinchilla began her career in government as Vice Minister of Public Security. This was under President José María Figueres. She then became the Minister of Public Security, making her the first woman to hold this role.
In 2002, she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. She became the First Vice President of Costa Rica in 2006. At the same time, she also served as Minister of Justice and Peace. She held these roles until 2008. She then resigned to run for president in the 2010 general election.
Running for President
Her decision to run for president was a surprise to many. She was not a very well-known member of her party, the National Liberation Party. Many believed that President Óscar Arias helped guide her towards the presidency.
During her campaign, she was seen as someone new, but also as someone who would continue Arias's good work. Some opponents said she was "a puppet of Arias." However, she and her supporters spoke out against unfair treatment because she was a woman.
Her campaign focused on helping people, growing the economy, protecting the environment, and keeping the country safe. Her slogan was firme y honesta (firm and honest). This showed her commitment to fighting crime and corruption. She also promised to build new homes, lower unemployment, and use more renewable energy.
In the primary election, she won by a large margin, partly because Arias supported her. In the general election, she won with about 47% of the votes. She had strong support from women and older voters.
As President of Costa Rica
Laura Chinchilla became president on 8 May 2010. Her party had the most seats in the Legislative Assembly, but not a full majority. This meant she had to work with other parties. She sometimes had disagreements with both the opposition and members of her own party.
Her popularity was often linked to her connection with former President Arias. When she made different policy choices, she sometimes lost support from him and his followers.
Important Actions
Isla Calero Dispute
In 2010, there was a disagreement with Nicaragua over a piece of land called Isla Calero. Nicaragua's military entered the island. President Chinchilla quickly responded by writing an article in the Miami Herald. She also asked the International Court of Justice to help solve the problem.
In 2011, the court told both countries to leave the island. Many people saw her handling of this situation as a strong point of her presidency. She also started building a road along the border to show national pride.
Cabinet Ministers
President Chinchilla chose many people to be part of her cabinet, which is like her team of advisors. She picked people with a lot of experience and education. She also made the National Institute of Women a cabinet-level position. This showed her commitment to women's issues.
Economic Focus
When Chinchilla took office, Costa Rica's economy was recovering from a global economic downturn. During her term, the economy grew. She aimed to continue policies that supported free trade. She signed trade agreements with China and Singapore. She also started the process for Costa Rica to join the OECD, a group of developed countries. She increased taxes on businesses to help fund security programs.
Protecting the Environment
Chinchilla was a strong supporter of environmental protection. She wanted Costa Rica to be carbon neutral by 2021, meaning it would not add to greenhouse gases. In 2011, she stopped new oil drilling projects. She said this was to protect the environment, as guaranteed by the country's constitution.
Her government also worked to generate over 90% of electricity from clean, renewable sources. She also focused on protecting the oceans and fighting against shark finning. These efforts earned her international praise for sustainability. One of her first actions was to ban open-pit gold mining.
Education for All
Education was a top priority for President Chinchilla. She worked to make sure that 8% of the government's budget went to education, as stated in Costa Rica's Constitution. During her time, the actual amount reached 7.2%, which was the highest in the region. She also continued a program called Avancemos. This program gave financial help to families in need so their children could stay in school.
Social Programs
One of her most important programs was Red de Cuido (Network of Care). This program provided funding for child care and elderly care. It involved many different organizations, including local governments and community groups. This program was expanded and recognized by international organizations.
After Her Presidency
After leaving office, Laura Chinchilla continued to be active on the world stage. She led observation missions for the OAS in elections in Mexico, the US, Brazil, and Paraguay.
She teaches at Georgetown University and holds other important academic positions. She also serves on the advisory boards of several international organizations. These include the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Idea, the Atlantic Council, and the International Olympic Committee. She is also the Vice-President of the Club of Madrid.
In 2019, she was part of an advisory board for the United Nations Development Programme. In 2020, she was a candidate to lead the Inter-American Development Bank.
Awards & Recognition
Laura Chinchilla has received many awards for her work. She was given the “Women of the Decade in Public Life and Leadership Award.” She also has honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University for Peace and Georgetown University.
See also
In Spanish: Laura Chinchilla para niños
- Politics of Costa Rica
- Religion in Costa Rica
